Riding Until The End

by A'zayler

  The dark blue Yankees fitted hat on his head made her mouth water. Just like Honey, she had a love for men in fitted hats. His cologne was intoxicating. It was suffocating her and he wasn’t even that close to her yet. He stuck his wallet in his back pocket before looking at her. Arizona followed him when he headed for the building. He stepped to the side and held the door open for her to walk in before him.

  The hostess met them at the door and took them right to their seats. She was glad they didn’t have a wait because she was famished. The little table in the corner was next to the window, so she was able to look out at the passing traffic as she dined. Zay still hadn’t said anything, just flipped through the menu. Not sure what she wanted to say anyway, Arizona flipped through her menu as well.

  It didn’t take her long to choose a meal, so she was free to look at him while he continued to look. She observed the hardness of his chest through his shirt. Toro had been very muscular as well, so Zay’s body was definitely appreciated. She had always had a thing for bigger men. She loved all men, but the ones that hit the gym on the regular held a special place in her heart.

  “You going to ignore me the whole time we eat?”

  Zay looked up at her. “Nah. I’mma look at you while I eat.”

  “So, I’m just here as eye candy?”

  “Pretty much.”

  When no smile or laugh came behind his remark, Arizona felt herself getting a little irritated. One thing she was not going to do was allow him to make her feel like a fool.

  “Why you invite me here if you were going to act like this?”

  “Welcome to Applebee’s, what can I get for you two today?” The waitress interrupted Arizona before she could say anything else.

  “I’ll have wat—” Arizona stopped mid-sentence. She paused only for a second before continuing. “I’ll have water for now, please.”

  Keyona looked like she wanted to say something, but scribbled on her notepad instead. “And for you, Xavier?”

  “A Bud Lite.”

  “Okay, I’ll be right back with your drinks.” Keyona walked away and Arizona looked across the table at Zay.

  He was looking directly at her. “You straight?”

  “Yeah. I just hope she don’t spit in my water.”

  Zay’s face remained stoic for a minute before it cracked with humor. He chuckled a little before she joined in. When she did, his finger came across the table and toward her face. She jumped back off reflex, but once she noticed he was just about to touch her dimple, she moved back toward his hand. She even leaned her face into his hand.

  “Do you ever think of me?”

  “All the time.” He didn’t even bother to break eye contact.

  “Good or bad things?”

  “Neither. I just wonder how you’re doing. What you’re up to, and shit like that. Nothing good or bad.”

  Arizona nodded her head. “I think about you a lot.”

  “I can tell from all the calls and texts I get from you checking on me.”

  He was trying to be sarcastic, so Arizona chose not to respond. There was nothing she could really say to that anyway.

  “You look good, though. You look a lot better than the last time I seen you. Still beautiful as ever, you just have a different aura about yourself.”

  “I’m happy.”

  “It shows.”

  Their conversation paused when Keyona came back to the table and set their drinks down. Arizona looked at the rather large belly that was poking out of the black shirt she wore. She didn’t allow her eyes to linger for long before ordering her food. When she finished, she waited for Zay to order his, and Keyona to walk away before talking again.

  “It was a time when I pictured myself fighting her every time I saw her, but you know something, I don’t even care no more. I’m sitting here looking at her stomach and knowing that’s my ex-fiancé’s baby, and the only thing on my mind is her doing something to my food.” Arizona looked around in her water to make sure she didn’t see anything before taking a sip from it. “She acted like she didn’t really want to take my order, but I know one thing, she better not do nothing to it.”

  Zay laughed and leaned back in his side of the booth. “Z, that damn girl ain’t even cooking the shit. She ain’t gon’ do nothing to your lil food.”

  Arizona tooted her lips up. “She better not. I might not beat her ass for being pregnant by Toro, but I will straight fuck her up about my food. I don’t play that nasty shit.”

  “Man, Arizona, shut your silly ass up, girl.” Zay’s face lit up from laughter.

  “I’m for real, and you better help me if somebody jumps in.”

  “I ain’t helping your ass. All I can do is come bail you out when they lock your ass up.”

  Arizona shrugged. “That works too.”

  Zay looked across the table at her and just watched her look out of the window. She was in her own little world when she felt his hand on top of hers. She turned her vision towards him and held his hand back.

  “I brought you here because I wanted to see where your head was at before I opened myself up to you again.”

  “You knew Keyona worked here?”

  Zay nodded. “I come here all the time around this time and she’s always here. I wanted to see was you over that shit before I even allowed myself to be your friend again.”

  “I feel you. I’m good though. I’m over that.”

  “I see. How you been?”

  “Pretty good. Just trying to get back into the swing of things. I’ve been in a committed relationship for so long, sometimes I forget that I’m single now. Ain’t that some crazy shit?”

  “Not for real. You’ve had the same life for a while now, so it’s going to take some time to get used to.”

  “I guess. What you been up to, though?”

  “Shit. Just grinding, trying to get this money. You know me.”

  Keyona walked back with their food and set it on the table. As they had the previous times, they stopped their conversation until she walked away.

  “You’ve been with all your old hoes?”

  Zay’s face frowned up. “Why you in my business, girl? I told you before, my dick doesn’t belong to you.”

  “Dang, mean ass. I was just asking.”

  “Well, don’t ask. You been with any of your old hoes?”

  Arizona moved the pasta around in her bowl and frowned as the aroma went up her nose. She covered her mouth and nose before pushing the plate away from her. “Oh, that smells horrible.”

  “You’re the one that ordered it.”

  “I didn’t know it would stink that bad. I can’t eat that. I think there’s garlic or something in there. I hate garlic.”

  “You want my steak?” Zay pushed his sizzling pan of food toward her.

  Arizona looked at his plate and sniffed. When she felt it was okay, she nodded her head and pulled it to her. “Thank you.”

  “You cool.” Zay took her plate and began to eat the pasta she’d ordered. “This shit is good, and I don’t taste no damn garlic. I think you just tried to throw me off from talking about your old hoes.”

  Arizona put a piece of steak and bell pepper into her mouth. “I don’t have no hoes, so that was definitely not it. That pasta just smelled horrible.”

  “Whatever you say. I’m glad you pretended like you ain’t got no other niggas, though. I can’t think about you with another man anyway. That shit makes me get mad.”

  “Aww, ain’t that cute?”

  “I ain’t trying to be cute, I’m just trying to be real. All this time I kept thinking about you being back with Toro and me losing for a second time to this nigga.”

  “Nah, I haven’t talked to him since the day before I last talked to you. I cut his ass off immediately. Haven’t talked to him or seen him, and I’m good with that.” Arizona picked up some more of the peppers and put them in her mouth. She rolled her eyes dramatically. “Oh my God. These peppers are so good.”

  “I bet it ai
n’t all that.”

  Arizona picked up one in her hand and held it toward his mouth. “Here, taste it.”

  Zay opened his mouth, and when she stuck the pepper inside, he grabbed her hand and pulled it closer so he could suck her fingers. He sucked one then the other before kissing the pads of both of them and letting her wrist go. When she took her hand back, he licked his lips.

  “Yeah, that was good.”

  Arizona didn’t know she could blush that hard. “You are something else for real. You got my pussy jumping and stuff. Don’t lick my fingers like that no more.”

  “Fuck! You know how long I’ve been waiting for the real Arizona to come back?”

  Arizona laughed and slapped his hand playfully. “Shut up, man. I was going through some stuff, but I’m back and I’m better now.”

  “All you have to do now is fuck with me and you’ll definitely be better.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Hell yeah.”

  “Aight, I got you.”

  Zay didn’t look like he believed her, but he continued their conversation anyway. Their lunch had actually gone pretty well, and she was happy that she had gone with him. Besides Keyona rolling her eyes or grunting every so often, Applebee’s had been good to her. The steak and peppers that Zay had ordered had her stomach full, and all she wanted to do was sleep.

  Zay was walking behind her as they left the restaurant and headed for his truck. “Arizona, your ass must have been eating good.”

  “Why you say that?”

  “You’ve gained some weight. It’s good weight, though. It looks good on you.”

  Arizona looked down at her exposed thighs. She knew he was telling the truth because she had been buying her bottoms in a size eleven instead of a nine like she normally did.

  “Thank you. I need to get my fat ass on a diet.”

  “No, you don’t. All you need to do is get your fat ass on my dick. I bet I can work you out.”

  “You make me sick with your nasty mouth.”

  “I’m sorry. I just have a hard time keeping my thoughts to myself.”

  Arizona gave him a look, letting him know that was no excuse for the things he said sometimes. He opened the door and helped her into the truck before going around to the other side and getting in. He cranked it up and flipped the stations on his radio until Avant’s song “Wanna Be Close” crooned through his speakers. He pulled out of the parking space and headed down the street.

  “I just wanna be close.” Zay sang along with Avant.

  Arizona smiled when he placed his hand on her thigh.

  “I feel like Avant in this damn truck. I wanna be all the good shit to you. Hell, I want to fill you up with love and shit too. I would have hit that note, but I can’t sing.”

  The laughter that escaped her was something that had grown strange to her. She hadn’t laughed like that in a long time. The only person who really made her laugh these days was Congo, and Honey occasionally, but it wasn’t like that. The jokes they told were brother and sister laughs. The giddy, feeling happy on the inside butterflies, that she had right then had produced the shy laughter.

  “This my last time asking you now, Arizona. You better go ahead and take me up on my offer. I’m a good nigga. You would be in love with me if you gave me a fair chance.”

  “I’m sure I would.”

  “Well, what you waiting on, then?”

  Arizona turned in her seat so she could look at him. He was driving, so he stole glances at her every few minutes. Winking or licking his tongue at her every time he looked in her direction. There really wasn’t a reason not to give Zay a chance right then, so she forced herself to take on something new.

  “Okay,”

  Zay looked at her as he approached the red stoplight. “Okay, what?”

  “Okay, I want it.”

  “Now you know when it comes to you, it entails more than one thing.”

  “I know. I want both.”

  A mile-wide smile stretched across his face as he looked at her. “Give me a kiss. That’ll make me believe you, because right now I don’t believe you yet.”

  Arizona leaned over the armrest and kissed Zay’s lips. When he opened his lips some, she stuck her tongue in his mouth. He willingly accepted it and kissed her back. They sat at the light kissing like two love struck teenagers until the horns blaring behind them brought them back to the present. Arizona giggled like a schoolgirl as he pulled away.

  “You serious this time? Because I thought you was serious last time and you just straight dissed my ass.”

  “I’m serious.”

  Zay nodded his head. “I can fuck with it for now. I’ll believe you when I wake up tomorrow though, and you’re still here.”

  “Don’t do me like that.”

  “I have to. Your credibility is shot. I can’t just take your word for it anymore. You could be lying to me.”

  “I guess I have to show you better than I can tell you then.”

  Zay looked over at her again quickly. “Yeah, you are.”

  When they pulled back up to the barbershop, Arizona got out and headed for her car. Zay followed her and stopped behind her when she stopped at her white BMW.

  “This you?”

  She nodded.

  “It’s clean. I like it.”

  “Thanks. I needed to get everything on my own, you know?”

  Zay touched the side of her thigh. “I feel you. That’s what’s up. I’m proud of you.”

  “I’m just happy you’re my friend again. I don’t think I could have gone another eleven years without you.”

  “I don’t think I could do it either.” Zay looked at her face and ran his hand down the back of her neck.

  She grabbed the sides of his shirt and pulled him closer to her. “What you think people are going to say about us?”

  “I really don’t give a fuck.”

  Arizona laughed. “Me either.”

  Zay grabbed both sides of her neck and kissed her waiting lips. “Where you finna go?”

  “To the nail shop then back home.”

  Zay looked off toward the shop before looking back down at her. “I got a few more people. We chilling after that?”

  “Yeah. I’ll cook.”

  He smiled. “I can’t wait to see this shit.”

  Arizona frowned for a minute. She wasn’t sure what it was that he couldn’t wait to see, being that she’d already cooked for him before. That shouldn’t be anything he was waiting on.

  “See what shit?”

  “What it’s going to be like with us being together.”

  Arizona got warm all over and tried to look down but couldn’t because he was still holding onto her neck.

  “Don’t look down. We’ll be cool. I’ll hold you down.”

  “I ain’t worried. It just makes me smile thinking about it and I’m tired of blushing for one day.”

  Arizona and Zay both laughed at that before he kissed her lips again and let her go. He took a step back from her so that she could open the door to her car. She slid in easily and looked up at him as he stood holding her door. He winked at her before closing the door.

  She watched him walk across the street and back into the barbershop before she pulled away. Seconds later, her phone beeped with a text.

  803-446-5568: Miss you already

  Arizona: I just left

  803-446-5568: You’ve been gone too long already

  Arizona: You have to stop making me blush like this

  803-446-5568: Never. Gotta go. Be safe.

  Arizona: I will

  As soon as she stopped texting Zay, she saved his number again and called Honey.

  “So, how did it go?”

  “Good, I guess. I think he’s my boyfriend now or something.”

  “What? All that happened over a haircut?”

  “No, we went to lunch and talked, and decided to try us out and see what happens.”

  Honey squealed in excitement, making Arizona laugh. “Y
ou sound happier than me.”

  “That’s probably because I am. This has been a long time coming. You were so busy acting all anti nigga I didn’t know how long you were going to act crazy. I’m glad it’s over now, though.”

  “You play too much. Don’t do me, bitch.”

  “I ain’t, but you were acting all extra crazy. For a minute I started to call Toro over to your apartment and just tell the nigga to move in with you.”

  “Oh no you did not.”

  “I’m for real, but girl I’mma be over there when I get off work. I got something to tell you, but I can’t talk right now.”

  “Why you even tell me that? Now you gone have me wondering what it is all day.”

  “That’s your business for being so nosey, not mine.”

  Arizona could hear Honey speaking to someone in her background so she told her to just call her back. When they hung up, she threw her phone in her passenger seat and took the route to the nail salon. While she sat there, she thought about Keyona and her stomach. It had been round, reminding her of Toro’s choices. She was so overjoyed to know that it no longer bothered her the way it used to. She hadn’t actually been fazed by it at all.

  Chapter Six

  Real isn’t who’s with you at your celebration, real is who’s standing next to you at rock bottom.

  Congo sat at the large metal table in the trailer at the site he was working on. He had just gone on his lunch break and had a little time left over to chill. His clothing was a little dusty from the work he’s just been doing, so instead of sitting on the little sofa in the corner of the room, he stayed seated at the table and relaxed.

  Construction was most definitely one of the hardest jobs in the world, but he wouldn’t trade the position he was in at the moment for nothing in the world. Not only was he making more money a month than he could spend in six, but he was making it by doing something he loved. With his hands crossed over his stomach, Congo closed his eyes and thought about the argument he and Honey had earlier that morning.